Cebu City Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña hands over the P50,000 reward to Sr. Insp. Leonil Avergonzalo of the City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (CAIDSOTF) for killing a suspected drug pusher in Barangay Sudlon II last week. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
The Police Regional Office yesterday commended PO3 Julius Regis, the policeman who chased and shot two robbery suspects and awarded him the Medalya ng Kagalingan of the Police Medal of Merit.
The awarding of the Medal of Merit was done during the flag raising ceremony at the Cebu City Police Office by PRO-7 Director, Chief Supt. Patrocinio Comendador.
“It has always been my philosophy since I assumed office that awards should be given where they belong and usually I give commendations directly to where that police officer is assigned in order for their comrades to know that we are giving recognition to people who are performing their job,” Comendador said.
Regis, who has been in police service for 12 years, also received P20,000 from Cebu City Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña as his reward in line with Osmeña’s bounty offer anybody who could would or kill criminals in “a legal way.”
Also awarded Medals of Merit were the five-man team from the City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (CAIDSOTF) led by Senior Insp. Eunil Avergonzado for neutralizing an alleged level two drug suspect in Barangay Sudlon II, Cebu City.
CASH REWARD
Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña handed over P50,000 in cash to the members of the CAIDSOTF team who shot and killed a suspected drug pusher last week.
Senior Insp. Eunil Avergonzado and his team members received the money at Osmeña’s home in Barangay Guadalupe yesterday afternoon.
The reward was for the death of Teodoro Cabriana, a suspected drug pusher, who was killed in his house in Barangay Sudlon II during an operation last week.
Avergonzado said they would donate half of the reward money for the reconstruction of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Pitalo, San Fernando town in southern Cebu that was gutted by fire earlier this month.
The other half would be used to purchase high definition flashlights, handcuffs and bullets.
“I’d like to thank our beloved mayor for the support. This reward and the legal services which he offered, it is a big morale booster to each policemen,” he told reporters.
Aside from the P50,000 cash reward, Osmeña also told Avergonzado and Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) deputy director for operations Supt. George
Ylanan who was also present yesterday, that he is willing to provide free legal services to policemen who might get sued for killing criminals in the line of duty.
“We cannot eliminate drugs but I promise you, it (the problem on illegal drugs) will go down. As a matter of fact, it’s already started to go down.
Because many of them (drug pushers) are lying low. And we are trying to look for them. And we will find them,” Osmeña told reporters.
LIST
Osmeña said they have a list of suspected drug lords, some of whom are policemen.
“So this warning goes not only to the drug lords but also to the policemen who are involved (in the illegal drugs trade),” he said.
He said he will also support calls to promote policemen who kill drug lords.
Aside from this, he said several things need to be done first, including retraining policemen and teach them firearm proficiency.
Several incoming top officials in the province like Gov. Hilario Davide III, Mandaue City Mayor-elect Luigi Quisumbing, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor-elect Paz Radaza and Cordova Mayor-elect Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho, earlier said they don’t plan on adopting Osmeña’s reward scheme for slain criminal.
But Osmeña said he doesn’t care what others say and he’s willing to be the guinea pig to this experiment.
“They’re entitled to their own opinion. I’m not asking them to join. There’s only one thing important to me. That’s the safety of our Cebuanos in Cebu City. The safety of our women when they walk the streets, when they ride the jeepney. I want them to know they’re safe. And I want them to know as long as I’m mayor, I will make it safe for them. There is no compromise,” he said.
The Commission on Human Rights has also raised red flags on the reward scheme.
“My job is to protect the victims of the criminal. In the past 20 years, I have never heard the Commission on Human Rights protect the victims of the criminal. It’s the criminal they want to protect,” he said.
“Sure, I’m subject to scrutiny, I’m subject to investigation. I welcome that, that’s their job. But I never lose sight of the fact that my responsibility is to see to it that all of you here in Cebu City are safe. And I will fight to do that. And I will kill to do that,” he added.
DUMPIT
Meanwhile, Osmeña said his lawyers are still working on the release of SPO3 Adonis Dumpit from prison.
“I’m sending a letter to the warden and I’m telling him very plainly that I’m prepared to file a case of contempt against him for disobeying the judge,” Osmeña said.
Osmeña said he was given an assurance that the policeman would be released soon and that they just need to comply with some requirements like approval from Manila.
But if within the week or until the weekend, if Dumpit is still not released, Osmeña said the warden should just explain himself to the judge when he files the contempt case in court.
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